I'm a Libertarian living in Humboldt County, CA. I've lived here in Eureka since 1973 and joined the Libertarian Party in 1992. This blog will mostly focus on local political issues, but I may stray into state and national issues as well, when I can't help myself. Please post your comments by clicking on the "comments" link at the bottom of each post. Although I do moderate comments, you need not be a registered user to post them.

43 Comments:

That's not surprising Fred. Both the dems and reps think they know what is best for the rest of us. We are forced to support one side and then the other on a range of issues by voting for the least objectionable of two alternatives. At least it keeps us on our (their?) toes :o)

The democratic central Committee (NOT) is nothing more than Richard salzman's drones, pushing whatever agenda he has. It's disgusting, and every single member of the despicable committee should be replaced.

Excuse me, but the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee is a body of publicly elected democrats from all over Humboldt County. HCDCC membership includes some very educated people, including several former liberal republicans who know it's about "small d" democracy for everyone...even you. So take a short walk off a long dock, okay?

My experience of HCDCC is proof enough for me that this body is intolerant of real democracy and will vibe out or vote out any opposition to the "party line" which is the Progressive one, indistinquishable from the Green one. Mainstream Democrats have no, repeat, no voice in Humboldt Democratic Party political process.

The HCDCC has been commandeered by the Salzman Local Solutions team. HCDCC doesn't represent Dems anymore, it represents the Progressives anti-corporate, anti-Arkley, anti-Palco, anti-Evergreen, anti-adequate housing development, anti-business development, anti-this, anti-that, not the Democratic Party agenda at all but radical Lefties' concentrated attack on Humboldt's economic life.

Not much to say, 11:56. Everything's probably already been said about that. Look at the bright side: Since some of the other D.A.'s are pissed about the firing, that's just more people we'll have to help out four years from now when Gallegos comes up for re- election.

He's alienated all the court, law enforcement and corrections people in Humboldt. If he keeps at it, he might do the same with the rest of the state. The tidal wave of discontent might just make it possible to unseat him next time around.

Sore losers. This is getting old, especially the BS from Steve Lewis. Can't you get published anywhere this week, Steve? Even John Dean, a self-described Goldwater Republican, says he's left of center these days. And then there are the fringers in Humboldt County. Well, off to church...

there you go again, pretending paul gallegos and measure t are the same thing. theyre not, one is a slightly liberal politican, the other is a reactionary attempt to undermine the first amendment and empower the democracy unlimited gangsters.

Don't think they were together? Think again. As with all they do the facade came off on the last day - they were together at every single location waving their signs. Don't hink that was the horse for Gallegos to ride in on? Think again. Think they care about democracy, big or little D, or about you? Think again.

It would be a long walk off a short pier, 7:44, and may be preferable to life under local solutionsakahcdcc.

Unfortunately, the remaining qualified and experienced attorneys in the DA's will not bother with that office in four years. My prediction: they'll be gone in the near future. Maybe yougofree is the new heir apparent!

Have fun with that residents of Humboldt County! With a per capita crime rate that rivals Detroit, it will be great to have yougofree at the helm. It's just soooooo progressive!

I totally agree 6:16 - the locosolutions aka hcdcc has gotten way too out there and the corruption in this county has a lot of good folks just trying to keep their heads down so they don't become the next poster child of the whacko's next assasination attack.

I prefer honesty also which is why I look at the 7:44 post like the person who wrote it has their head in a very dark place behind them.

The enviro deputy was fired because of Gallegos. He just lost an attorney who is leaving this week for another county. My predition is that he will lose most of his senior staff before the end of the year.

I also give it 12 - 18 months before the whole thing unravels but who knows, it could happen sooner and then we can sit back and laugh at how the HCDCC and loco solutions tries to spin it.

The same people who gave us "losing grants is just "weaning ourselves"; we didn't lose the grant, it went to Hoopa, so it stayed in Humboldt County; mass exodus from the office, that is "growing new 'experienced' deputies of the future; Gallegos is 'fighting crime'; Maggie BEGGED to be the child abuse prosecutor AND keep her other duties as well; Martinez-Hernandez can get a lesser sentence BECAUSE the Feds will pick up the ball; why, the HCDCC has ALWAYS chosen to endorse one dem over another; why CERTAINLY Paul is 100% committed to CAST, that's why he GUTTED it.

It's wrong, and I personally am outraged that Paul Gallegos so callously fired our Paul Hagen, a hard-working environmental prosecutor, for such shallow reasons. Could everyone who reads this please write a letter to the editor of any or all of our local newspapers expressing your feelings about this? This is a real loss for Humboldt County.

You guys - this is what people were trying to tell you before the election. Too bad you didn't listen. The guy is callous and vindictive. He is corrupt and has sold justice down the river. He goes after his enemies and now uses a badge to do it.

Nobody seemed to mind that he sent the kids of this county down the river, but now that he has shown his true colors (doesn't even care about environmental crimes only his civil suit that was thrown out) now people are outraged.

Wow!

Hagan is a good man that cared and now he is out because he believed he was acting like a true dem and challenged Riggs and his henchman.

Actually it seems that you may be a little sick if you think that firing a good environmental prosecutor (the only one we have in humboldt) and a good man and father is an ok thing to do. It is simply telling the truth and if you consider that Paul bashing then so be it.

Gallegos is lazy, ineffective, callous and vindcitive as mentioned by 7:55 above, intimidated by women, fires people who are better than himself, the man has no work ethic whatsoever, can't work in Del Norte County because he is so dishonest, he is beholden to his backers, and acts at their direction.

He is a terrible boss, and is losing most of his staff, has decimated important programs that serve the people...

You've heard it all before. You don't give a damn.

Paul is the icon, the brave and courageous, handsome young daredevil who stared down the evil corporation and gave you your pot, lets you cook meth in your kitchen, fill your rental up with dirt and turn it into a greenhouse.

Uhhh..wasn't the HCDCC endorsement of Paul Gallegos a 20-1 vote, only Hagens against? Can the other 19 people ALL be fools, or is it just possible they thought District Attorney Gallegos deserved to keep his job? Maybe it IS time to move.

No they only wanted to further an agenda that has nothing to do with protecting the most vulnerable in this community and which has everything to do with their "regressive" movement. That Hagan was the only one to vote no is very telling as to why Gallegos cancelled the contract with CDAA and got him fired.

Try this. Gallegos wrote a scathing letter to the CDAA. He essentially cancelled his contract with the CDAA which funded Hagen's position.

Why the CDAA did not consult with the other DA's, especially Del Norte who could tell them in no uncertain terms what can be made of any assertions by Gallegos, is unfathomable.

Why the CDAA is so out of touch with what the rest of the legal community throughout the state knows, which is that the Humboldt County DA's office is in a state of disastrous disrepair thanks to Paul Gallegos is also unkown.

But, hey, maybe they're like the Humboldt Democratic Central Committee, a shining example of the Peter Principle at work.

Poor, dumb Bill Lockyer. He's going to have to send in reinforcements, and make his apologies for his inexcusable endorsement.

Nobody cares! Leave Paul alone to create his own staff! He should dump any and all who are or were against him! Or they should quit! Hypocrites all. Paul being elected will screw up Humboldt County? It is already in the dump! Look around! Been there for awhile now, back to Farmer! That is why he was ousted! This is the hope for a new era! So you all should just suck it up and shut up!

Sorry buddy - its only a dump because of whackjobs like you. You sound like some mindless twit.

As for your comment about "suck it up and shut up", thats what I would expect from some fringe lunatic who doesn't understand what free speech and questioning authority is all about. I am no fan of the republicans or Bush, but can you tell me whether you suck it up and shut up about him. Probably don't and that why you are a mindless Ork.

Newsflash - where are you going to be when the shit hits the fan? Answer: still blogging your hatred and intolerance.

PS they are quitting - there is currently a mass exodus. Will you be getting off your backside to do the job - probably not!

The key thing about those emails is where Stoen admits there is no way the PL case will fly, then comes back a couple of days later and tells Ken Miller he has found a way to make it fly.

This after the experienced prosecutors and the investigators in the office had already told him and Paul Gallegos that the case had no merit. It is not a prosecutor's function to find a defendant guilty at all costs.

Gallegos and Stoen claimed Gallegos had "discovered" evidence of fraud, but since that case had been sitting in a box for long enough that it was at its statute of limitations, that claim is ludicrous.

Gallegos had 9 months between when he was elected and when he took office. Plenty of time in that 9 months for Ken Miller and Gallegos' handlers to dredge it up, pump him up, and set him up to file that suit. Bringing Stoen in was just another of their mistakes.

Then, when the suit was filed, Ken Miller professed to be "stunned." Another reason why the emails are so important as they so clearly illustrate Miller's involvement, every step of the way.

Old news. But these are the basis of the myth that is Paul Gallegos' stock in trade.

No substance. Every time you examine his actions and his statements, the truth is so completely contrary to what he says, it is astounding that he hasn't been run out of town on a rail.